Our kids slept in this morning. That would normally delight me, but we were supposed to be somewhere at 7:30. Sigh. We can be as organized as we dream about, but I’m not crazy enough to wake sleeping toddlers.

So I cleaned the kitchen. And planned the family work load for the week. My coffee grew cold as I puttered around, getting the kids’ picto-calendar updated and making sure everyone had shoes for class.

I remember life with two. We could’ve been the organized parents, the on time parents who remember the school snack every time and personally craft the teacher thank you presents. We would have handmade cards and time to read.

That said, I get the impression everyone thinks we live in happy chaos all the time. Sometimes, we live in silence and sunshine. Right now, for example, our kids are having water fights in the yard while we clean up the kitchen. The dog was out there for a while, and I check in every so often, but they know the rules and are having a blast with a hose and some squirt guns.

Sometimes I think more kids can be easier. They’ve got a whole team for almost anything, can make a game up anywhere, and know how to take turns for the most part. So as the oldest four enter the “play less supervised” era, I suspect we’ll have a cleaner kitchen and some of the neverending paperwork can be finished before 11 pm.

In the meantime, the 4th of July has become a scream-inducing holiday around here. The fireworks on the 3rd are a huge bonus too. And seeing all of our kids lined up, watching the parade together? So much more fun than always remembering school snack.